The Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra helped Fort Payne-born band Alabama make a connection to Tuscaloosa.

At June's Bama Rising concert, the TSO stepped in when a Birmingham-based orchestra couldn't make the gig. “Because of the incredible cooperation with the Tuscaloosa Symphony, their conductor, and the devastation suffered by this proud city, I feel very humbled to be part of a show to hopefully bring about happiness to an area that has lost so much,” said lead singer Randy Owen, in a prepared statement. “My prayers are that the show will be uplifting and help us all love and care more for one another.”

The country-rock superstar group will play its first full concert in seven years Sept. 2 at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater.